Trolling from sailboat

[Snowpetrel]

I worked on a sailing fishing boat. She was a 50 foot ketch rigged troller chasing Albacore off the NZ Coast called Sunniva.

We had eleven lure out at once, eight from the mizzen outriggers, one whisky line from the mizzen mast, and two short lines on downriggers from the fwd outriggers.

Lines were heavy 5mm (or so) green nylon braid with heavy short steel traces and very strong unbarbed hooks so we could unhook the fish quick and get the line back in.

We used hydraulic haulers and sometimes had all four haulers running full time, with the other lines full of fish as well. Quicker we could clear them the more fish we could catch before the school disappeared.

Certainly a rod and real would have been a useless thing onboard for us, far to slow, and far to weak, the force the fish hit our hooks would often rip half their face away. But we never lost a line.

[Harry Brown]

Can anyone please tell me how I attach these outrigger release clips to a Cuban yoyo setup on the pushpit.
I have seen several articles that say to use these to provide a relaxation loop so that the yoyo hangs down whilst trolling. When something takes the lure these snap out and the yoyo pulls out vertical to indicate a strike.
I cannot for the life of me work out how I incorporate this between the yoyo and pushpit.
Any help please!? Thank you.

[Yangyangyyy]

Originally Posted by capt-couillon

Used to use an old Penn real hose clamped to a vertical member of the pushpit... Now use a "cuban YoYo" and the lazy side sheet winch.

i'm thinking the same, but the fishing line is slippery, does not have much friction as normal sailboat sheets, would it still hold on to the winch?

[JPA Cate]

Not a problem. Fish are built to slide easily through the water, and if he's too heavy for you to land, you cut the line and turn him back, to feed something else.

Ann

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Yangyangyyy

i'm thinking the same, but the fishing line is slippery, does not have much friction as normal sailboat sheets, would it still hold on to the winch?

Nylon, so not a big difference. You can always add a turn.


More likely, if the you slow the boat and are using a yoyo, you won't do this. I've landed 40-pounders without help. The trick is to use the yoyo like a kite winder, recovering line with a figure 8 motion of your arm. See below link for sequence of images. The yoyo does the work.



Sail Delmarva: Food Fishing

[singlespeed]

I have seen reels attached to stern pulpits with hose clamps, but try pulling in a 4' Blackfin Tuna while unable to take up any slack with a rod/reel combo. You can do it, but the person at the helm has to be very cognizant of your needs. I've tried hand reels and they do work for smaller fish, where you don't need a rest. After fighting a big mahi mahi for over an hour, I went back to a rod and reel, tethered to a pad eye.

[JArcherM]

Keep the lure closer than you think, Its all about presentation. Color depends on where you are. Purple and black catches most of my Wahoo, Green/pink catches mahi, get a few lines and a 2x4 for a teaser.

kill it before you bring it on board.

[team karst]

Originally Posted by JArcherM

Keep the lure closer than you think, Its all about presentation. Color depends on where you are. Purple and black catches most of my Wahoo, Green/pink catches mahi, get a few lines and a 2x4 for a teaser.



kill it before you bring it on board.

Is there a color that barracuda dont like?

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by singlespeed

I have seen reels attached to stern pulpits with hose clamps, but try pulling in a 4' Blackfin Tuna while unable to take up any slack with a rod/reel combo. You can do it, but the person at the helm has to be very cognizant of your needs. I've tried hand reels and they do work for smaller fish, where you don't need a rest. After fighting a big mahi mahi for over an hour, I went back to a rod and reel, tethered to a pad eye.

You can tell there are REAL fisherman here... talking about catching 4 foot long blackfin tuna.

Considering the all-tackle world record is only 45lbs, that's a truly amazing catch...

But seriously... as a dedicated fisherman who has been at it for a very long time, I can assure you that for fish less than about 50 lbs, a well handled hand line can be way more efficient that rod and reel. Way cheaper too.

Several years ago we were docked next to a young family on a multihull in the T&C. They really had no experience fishing, but figured if they were out on the ocean, they might as well. I don't know where the wife got her advice, but she rigged with a handline. Hubby went to a fishing store for his advice and gear. He told her she was crazy, "You can land big fish like that!" They had lines out and ran through a school of blackfin tuna (none close to 4 feet long, by the way), and had two fish on. Wife had hers on the deck, and had to patiently wait for him to get his close to the boat.

Of course there are limits... an 80 lb wahoo is not a fish I'd want to handle on a hand line, but people do.

[Bullshooter]

I have tried both handlines and rod and reel from a sailboat. I took a medium weight rod, bought 2 ferrules, cut the rod into 3 pieces, and glued the ferrules onto the pieces to make it into a takedown rod that I could fit into my suitcase. Packed the reel separately and wrapped a beach towel around the rod in the suitcase to protect it. Worked great and I caught mahi and barracuda with it.

I also tried the handline. Landing the fish was not the problem, but I struggled with the best way to attach the spool to the boat in a way that was not difficult to remove after a hit. I had a bungee cord through the center as a shock absorber, but rigging the spool so it would not spin and release line involved a cord that interfered with wrapping the line back on after a hit.

The hand line is much cheaper, plus easier to pack, but I would really appreciate a photo or a clear diagram showing the best way to attach it to the boat that can quickly be detached. I know I could have just tied the cord through one of the slots in the plastic reel (see image), but I feared that a big fish could just break the plastic.

It seems I am missing something, that others have likely solved. Anyone out there have a photo or diagram showing the attachment to the boat?

[George_SD]

You don't attach the handline spool to the boat. You attach the line/bungee to the cleat or another solid feature of the boat (like a rod holder on the stanchion) . The spool is can remain attached to the bungee with a short tether as it's there to just collect the line. Some do use it as a load bearing piece when bringing the fish in, but they still tie the line to the boat when not handling the line.
You could always use a short paracord to attach a large snap hook to lock the line in place on the spool

[Bullshooter]

Originally Posted by George_SD

You don't attach the handline spool to the boat. You attach the line/bungee to the cleat or another solid feature of the boat (like a rod holder on the stanchion) . The spool is can remain attached to the bungee with a short tether as it's there to just collect the line. Some do use it as a load bearing piece when bringing the fish in, but they still tie the line to the boat when not handling the line.
You could always use a short paracord to attach a large snap hook to lock the line in place on the spool

I'm not clear on the whole arrangement, other than the line alone is attached to the boat, not the spool. Just wrap the line around a cleat, and tie the bungee cord into the line - sort of like a snubber? Anyone have a photo or diagram?

[George_SD]

https://www.go-saltwater-fishing.com...e-fishing.html

Look at the spool he uses - not round, making it easier to attach/secure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc_x_OyfuMQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMOaQIDWE2U

ready to use:
https://www.englundmarine.com/produc...-HANDLINE.html

https://www.amazon.com/BNR-THL-Tackl.../dp/B06XK8Y36G

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

You can tell there are REAL fisherman here... talking about catching 4 foot long blackfin tuna.

Considering the all-tackle world record is only 45lbs, that's a truly amazing catch...

But seriously... as a dedicated fisherman who has been at it for a very long time, I can assure you that for fish less than about 50 lbs, a well handled hand line can be way more efficient that rod and reel. Way cheaper too.

Several years ago we were docked next to a young family on a multihull in the T&C. They really had no experience fishing, but figured if they were out on the ocean, they might as well. I don't know where the wife got her advice, but she rigged with a handline. Hubby went to a fishing store for his advice and gear. He told her she was crazy, "You can land big fish like that!" They had lines out and ran through a school of blackfin tuna (none close to 4 feet long, by the way), and had two fish on. Wife had hers on the deck, and had to patiently wait for him to get his close to the boat.

Of course there are limits... an 80 lb wahoo is not a fish I'd want to handle on a hand line, but people do.

I don't have a scale so I won't guess weight of the fish I catch. But I have caught 40+ inch tuna and mahi on a hand line. I skip the yoyo except for storing the line when not fishing. It's too slow and cumbersome. I fish with 400 lb test mono filament and that is thick enough to pull it in quickly with my bare hands, it's very easy with gloves. I just let the line pile up on deck. I get the fish alongside, then cleat the fishing line so the fish is pinned to the side of the boat. Then gaff it.

The tunu in this picture I was unable to land by myself. I gaffed it, but it was too heavy to get on deck. A crew member gave me a bear hug and I fell backwards with the fish on top of me.

The mahi I landed myself (was singlehanding at the time) and was 42". The Tunu was bigger, certainly over 48".

I wish I could figure a way to bleed the fish and clean them without landing them on deck first. I've tried, and it must only work on boats with a swim platform or something.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Bullshooter

I'm not clear on the whole arrangement, other than the line alone is attached to the boat, not the spool. Just wrap the line around a cleat, and tie the bungee cord into the line - sort of like a snubber? Anyone have a photo or diagram?

The way I do it:

I use about 2 boat lengths of 400 lb test. Directly to the lure, no leader. The leaders that come with lures are too light, and so are the hooks. So I toss the leader and hook that come with the lure, and attach the hook directly to my 400 lb test line.

On the boat end. I take about 4 feet of shock cord (bungee cord) and use hog rings to make a small loop on each end. The fishing line goes through these loops, and is tied to them, with about 8 feet of fishing line between them. So, the shock cord can expand to 8 feet. The fishing line continues from the shock cord another few feet, and is tied to a cleat or stanchion. I tie it forward of the cockpit, not from the stern of the boat. This is because it is easier to land a fish on my side deck than over the pushpit, through the bimini, and into the cockpit.

Where the fishing line passed by the cockpit, I tie a clove hitch around a water bottle. When a fish is on, the water bottle will crunch.

The yoyo, I don't use for hauling in the fish. But to bring the line in when not fishing, the line isn't attached to it. I just grab the line near the shock cord and wind it around the yoyo.